Minto Mall begins

Surprisingly, Minto Mall was named, not by a corporate think tank, but by a local primary school boy. Prior to its grand opening on April 28 1981, developers launched a competition asking for suggestions to name the brand new shopping centre. The winning entrant was Mathew, a young local with his nicely alliterative entry.

14 Nov 1980
Arthur Jones Collection

At a cost of 13 Million dollars not only did the building itself employ 200 workers during its construction but an additional 300 would be employed in the shopping centre. Opening with Coles New World, Ansett Travel, Mr Whippy, bank and also Kmart boasting 13 Checkouts!

18 Feb 1981
Arthur Jones Collection

Coles Managing director, Mr Bevan Bradbury said they would “offer a form of shopping that has proved enormously popular.” - referring to the latest fashion for malls. He also proclaimed New World itself would have a 132 metres of refrigerated selling space.

Minto News April 1981
The advertising materials ushering in
this new form of shopping experience,
 proclaiming “Yes, right now you can step into
 1980’s style shopping”

For two weeks the mall offered tickets in various competitions. “Up for grabs” was a refrigerator, colour television and dishwasher. The winning ticket was presented by the “Multimedia” personality of Michael “Hollywood” John Howson and flamboyant Gold Logie award winning comedian, Jeanne Little who's catchcry of "Ohhhhh, Daaaahling was no doubt heard throughout Minto Mall. 

Minto News April 1981

Other promotions in the inaugural weeks included model train displays and free balloons for kids young and old.

According to the advertising there are
 spaces here for 950 cars in this one stop shop.
Photo by Ron Hutchings in the Minto News.

Flood in Queen Street

(Photograph courtesy of Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society)


This remarkable photograph was taken on the corner of Queen and Lithgow Streets in Campbelltown between 1910 and 1920. It shows Queen Street transformed from a dusty street to a fast flowing river. It's hard to imagine the scene from this same spot with today's modern drainage and guttering.

The shot was taken by Percy Marlow from his shop on the southern corner. It was called Marlow Bros. Premier Store and later became Solomon Bros. Store. Percy Marlow was a prolific photographer from this time. The ANZ Bank stands on the site in 2014.

Written by Andrew Allen

Downes Department Store

"Downes?, yeah, everyone went to Downes, 'cause it was the only shop. You got everything at Downes". These were the words of a local that I interviewed recently. This opinion seems to reflect most local's thoughts about where you did your shopping from the 1950s to 1980s.

Downes store opened in Queen Street on Thursday, November 1, 1951, when the company took over the Pat Solomons Progressive Store. In 1951 the store was one of four operated by the company and offered only hardware, clothing and software merchandise. The company's managing director was Rex Downes. His faith and foresight in the future of Campbelltown first brought the company to the city.

Rex Downes bought up all available land in the vicinity of the store. He set out also a policy of keeping Downes store "one step in front" of the growth pattern and at times the economic situation. This allowed Downes to present the best possible service "at city prices" to the residents of what was then the country town of Campbelltown.

Downes sold everything from clothes to lawnmowers to homewares. There was also a large menswear department. It had three levels with the top level being the office. Electrical was on the bottom level. The store was located where Spotlight is today.

In 1984 two stages of a $2.5 million redevelopment of Downes were completed. The store became Downes City Plaza. It included Franklin's Supermarket, butcher, ice-creamery and restaurant. The competition from Campbelltown Mall and Macarthur Square eventually led to Downes demise.

Written by Andrew Allen

Sources:

Campbelltown District Star
18 November, 1976 p13

Macarthur Advertiser
23 October, 1984

Mrs Hickey's General Store

One of the earliest photographs the library has in its collection is this one taken in 1871 of Mrs Hickey's general store. The building was built of weatherboard with a shingled roof. The rear annex was of brick and rough stone set in a mortar matrix, probably of sand and lime with or without cement. In the shop window you can see various bottles, vases and jars. Other items that Mrs Hickey sold included cutlery, pottery, garden tools, farm products, linen, clothing, pots and pans, lamps and lanterns.

If you look closely at the photograph you can see the absence of guttering. Rain drops from the roof created shallow trenches along the frontage to the verandah and from all accounts meant mud was everywhere in wet weather. A foot scraper would've been essential!

Also note the cat sunning itself on the road. A reminder of the placid life of that time so long ago.

Mrs Hickey's quaint little shop was situated 50 metres south of the Queen Street and Bradbury Avenue intersection on the western side of Queen Street. This places it in the vicinity of where the car wash is located.

Source:

"Buildings of Yore in Campbelltown" by Eddie McBarron
In Grist Mills  Vol.3, No.3, July 1986

Written by Andrew Allen